Candidates spreading 'black money'

Says Sakhawat

27 October 2011, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Election Commissioner Sakhawat Hussain yesterday said candidates of the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) polls are distributing “black money” among voters to secure victory. “I know black money is being spread. But we can not catch them,” he said, without any further elaboration. Sakhawat was speaking at a roundtable titled “Role to hold a free and fair parliamentary election” organised by Bangladesh Manobadhikar Samonnay Parishad, a human rights organisation, in the city's Jatiya Press Club. “Our political parties do not trust each other, not even the Election Commission. Proper democracy can not flourish until the culture of mistrust ends,” said Sakhawat. Speaking at the programme, Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, said it is the political parties that, both, introduced the caretaker government system and created its barriers. Industries Minister Dilip Barua, former adviser to a caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, BNP leader SM Asaduzzaman Ripon, Communist Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, film actor Ilias Kanchon and human rights activist Sharmin Murshed were present.